Spanish beginners aim head first for Beijing 2022

Spanish beginners aim head first for Beijing 2022

Spanish beginners aim head first for Beijing 2022

With no track in Spain, six young athletes have travelled to Austria to taste skeleton for the first time.

They all have the requirements to be a good skeleton champ: speed, leg strength, body control and balance.

The six of them have come from other disciplines, like athletics, cycling or judo.

"Judo is very body-oriented, sensitive... and that helps me to know where my body is at each moment. As it's a combat sport, I can accept the hits," says Marta Ferrer, who holds a black belt in her previous sport.

Oriol RocaOriol Roca

From Spain to Austria

Another complication in their bid to join the international elite is that there is no skeleton track in Spain.

But that doesn't mean that they don't train there.

"We try to work on the start, that is 30 percent. Of course we can't go down the track but we work mentally, with simulators and three thousand other things that we can invent to recreate the track in Spain," says Mirambell.

His brother Toni, the only Spanish International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation-certified coach, insists: "We supply those tools with a lot of creativity... and with the athletics track, which is very important."

Claudia Camacho and Marta FerrerClaudia Camacho and Marta Ferrer

Road to Beijing 2022

The Spanish Federation of Ice Sports launched this project with the eyes set on the next Winter Olympics: Beijing 2022.

"We are short of time but this is the first step of the way. We don't know if it's going to happen in 2022 or 2026 but we are excited," Ander Mirambell adds.

"I want to return to the sport everything it gave to me... and what better way than teaching the athletes who are coming?"

The #SkeletonChallenge continues. They will have another training camp in February in St. Moritz, Switzerland.